MEDIATION (CCRC)

CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING

custody evaluation

 

  • It is in a family’s best interest to develop their own post-divorce parenting plans whenever possible. However, if a family’s attempts fail, the court enters that process via Child Custody Recommending Counseling (CRCC) or a 3111-custody evaluation.

    CRCC or a custody evaluation is useful to assist parents in getting beyond an impasse. These services help parents to focus on their child/children and provides a safe place for parents to discuss custodial issues considering what is best for the child/children.

    CRCC or a 3111 evaluation can assist parents to identify valid concerns for their child/children’s wellbeing and develop plans to protect them and resolve parental differences. It also allows investigation into allegations that tend to impede agreements or custody arrangements.

  • Child custody recommending counseling, (CRCC) is designed for parents to present their concerns and to develop their own parenting plan. Each parent will have sufficient time to discuss their concerns and to offer to the other parent their ideas of creating a parenting plan. Absent of agreements, CRCC or evaluator will make recommendations.

    Evaluations are independent, impartial, free of material conflicts of interest, fact-based, methodologically, balanced and culturally informed.

    If parents want certain documents to be reviewed during CRCC or evaluation, that parent must ensure that the other parent has a copy of these documents prior to these documents being provided to the counselor or evaluator. It is only fair to parents to know and be prepared to respond to any such documentation. These documents must be presented at least five days prior to the beginning of mediation or evaluation. If five days is not possible, please discuss with counselor/evaluator. No more than thirty pages can be submitted.

    Child custody recommending counseling is a time for parents to discuss their children and to separate their relationship issues from their custodial issues. Focus will be on the custodial issues. Often the relationship issues conflict with the custodial issues. This time affords the parents professional intervention to help parents focus on their children. Feelings often get in the way of thinking clearly. This time allows for parents to gain information that helps them separate their feelings from the custodial issues.

    If parents are unable to resolve their differences, recommendations are made by the CCRC. These recommendations are based on the information gained through the discussion of the issues and by contacting collateral contacts. If recommendations are to be made, it is usual for this evaluator (CCRC) to interview the child/children.

    When children are interviewed, they are interviewed without the presence of either parent. It is usual to interview children while in each parents’ custody.

    It is best to tell your child/children that they will be able to speak to a “family helper” or a counselor regarding how they feel about their parents no longer living together. The parents are encouraged to help the children understand that seeing a counselor is to help their parents make good plans for them.

    Coaching the child/children as to what to say during this interview is discouraged as it puts the child in a severe emotional loyalty bind. It is important for the parents to keep the child/children out of their custodial conflict. Parents are instructed to not bad mouth the other parent and to always speak respectfully to the children. The parents are also instructed to not “interrogate” the child/children as to what was asked or what they said during these interviews.

    In CCRC, sessions may be conjoint or individual, but every effort will be made to share information. If there is an issue of domestic violence, sessions will be individual. If one parent wants an individual session, the other parent is offered an individual session.

    A 3111 evaluation consists of individual interviews with parents and children to gather history and concerns. Collateral contacts, such as teachers, doctors, or others who have pertinent information regarding this case may also be made. Contacting family members who are involved with the children are often helpful. A review of all previous court documents is conducted. A home visit may or may not occur. Observations of children with each parent is a usual procedure. Any other action that may shed light on the family dynamics may also occur.

    The goal is to collect information, assess or evaluate specific custodial issues as listed in the court order or expressed by either parent, or to make recommendations that are based on the best interest of the child/ren. The goal is also to assist the court and parents in determining a parenting plan that would be in the best interest of the child.

    ZOOM: We will be conducting all interviews via the Zoom Platform. I will send you a link the day of the appointment to join in Zoom.

    PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM VIA EMAIL FIVE WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT TIME.

    PLEASE SUBMIT ANY ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT AND PROVIDE A PROOF OF SERVICE TO THE OTHER PARTY IN ORDER FOR THE PAPERWORK TO BE CONSIDERED. NO MORE THAN 30 ADDITIONAL PAGES.

  • Collateral contacts are usually professionals who happen to know your family well. Teachers, doctors, daycare providers, CPS, law enforcement officers are appropriate collateral contacts. Family members and friends may be a valuable source of information. Involving family members and friends may also hold a bias towards one of the parents and this may interfere with good friendships. However, interviewing family members will be up to the discretion of the mediator.

  • Parents are expected to hold each other’s confidentiality and parents are expected to keep the reports confidential. However, confidentiality is limited in that a report is written to the courts. What children say to the counselor/evaluator is not confidential and is made available to the court. It is always in the best interest of the child to protect their confidentiality as best as possible. It is very damaging to children if one parent gets angry or hurt over what the child says. It is very damaging for children to be made to feel that they did something wrong by saying what is in their heart. Parents are the best ones to keep confidential what they want to be confidential.

    There is no guarantee of confidentiality to protect your due process right and to ensure that all issues are clarified and assessed. However, the report is very confidential and each parent must hold this report as confidential and not provide it to anyone without the consent of the court.

    Further, California law requires a report be made to the appropriate agencies if there is reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect. This law further limits confidentiality.

  • Financial arrangements must be made or agreed upon between the parties before appointments are made.

    PAYMENT: I do not accept credit cards. Personal check or money order is accepted. I accept Venmo, PayPal, and Zelle forms of electronic payment.

    The fee is based on $175.00 per hour and the retainer is $3000.00.

    The retainer must be paid in full prior to scheduling appointments or beginning the process. The complexity of the issues, the number of collateral contacts, the history of the case, or the number of documents needed to be reviewed may affect the amount of time needed to evaluate or make recommendations. In that case, the parties will be notified when the retainer is close to being used. At that point, further monies may need to be added to finish the process.

Or download the questionnaire to complete and mail in. Please use separate paper to expand on your answers so that you can provide complete answers to the questions. Choose either PDF or Word format below: